President Obama: 'Shame on Us' if we Forget Newtown

President Barack Obama says the gun control votes in the Senate next month are the best chance in more than a decade to reduce gun violence.

Obama spoke Thursday at the White House. He says powerful foes of gun control hope Americans will forget the shock of the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.

Obama says people shouldn't get, quote, "squishy" because time has passed. Obama says, quote, "Shame on us if we've forgotten."

He's asking people to urge Congress to support his gun control measures.

Obama spoke alongside parents of the Newtown victims. It's part of a series of rallies by gun control groups across the country Thursday.

Meanwhile, there is another chance to voice your opinion on gun control by joining volunteers and community leaders in Carson City.

The group, Organizing for Action will be down in Carson at the IHOP on south Carson Street and will be joined by other groups including mayors against illegal guns, for the National Day of Action.

Among the supporters for mayors against illegal guns is Washoe County Sheriff Michael Haley who has voiced his support for the National Day of Action.

Four people, including three uniformed Nevada National Guardsmen, were killed when 32-year-old Eduardo Sencion opened fire at the pancake house during breakfast time September 6, 2011. Seven others were injured before Sencion shot himself dead.

(The Associated Press also contributed to this report.)

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From Washoe County Sheriff's Office:

Mike Haley, Sheriff Washoe County, Nevada, is a supporter of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and supports todays National Day to Demand Action to bring awareness of the need to responsibly address and bring an end to gun violence. While members of Congress are home during the Easter/Passover recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, in conjunction with Organizing for Action, Americans for Responsible Solutions and other groups supporting background checks, organized more than 100 events and petition drives and generated an unprecedented number of calls into Senate district offices to call for their representatives to support commonsense gun laws like comprehensive and enforceable background checks.

"Many Nevadan's have lived through the consequences of gun violence. And, as a supporter of Mayors Against Illegal Gun, it is my hope that the national awareness to address gun violence will be raised and meaningful policy will emerge," said Sheriff Haley.

The National Day to Demand Action brought together hundreds of mayors, law enforcement officials, faith leaders, gun violence survivors and family members, and other Americans who want Congress to take immediate action to strengthen our background check system and reduce gun violence. The day is expected to be the largest gun violence advocacy event in history and is part of the largest field campaign in U.S. history to address gun violence. The coalition recently announced that it is hiring organizers and opening campaign offices in ten key states including Nevada.

In addition to the National Day to Demand Action, the bipartisan coalition is also airing ads demanding that political leaders take action to pass commonsense gun reforms in key states during the upcoming Congressional recess, including in Nevada. Ads can be found here: www.demandaction.org/recessads

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.4 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country. The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable; demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns. Learn more at http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/

In dramatic fashion the Nevada women’s basketball team snapped its six-game losing streak thanks to an 85-78 overtime victory over Utah State Saturday afternoon in Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack (12-13, 5-9 MW) led by 10 at halftime but the Aggies (5-21, 3-12 MW) clawed their way back into contention in the second half.

In dramatic fashion the Nevada women’s basketball team snapped its six-game losing streak thanks to an 85-78 overtime victory over Utah State Saturday afternoon in Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack (12-13, 5-9 MW) led by 10 at halftime but the Aggies (5-21, 3-12 MW) clawed their way back into contention in the second half.

A student with a weapon caused a code red lockdown at Pine Middle School in Reno Thursday afternoon. School district officials have not yet specified what the weapon was, but the student's father says it was a knife.

A student with a weapon caused a code red lockdown at Pine Middle School in Reno Thursday afternoon. School district officials have not yet specified what the weapon was, but the student's father says it was a knife.